Her Guardian Angel
by xxjmm96xx
Summary: A tradgedy hits Lulu hard, and she doesn't know how to go on anymore. But someone is watching over her, helping her to carry on... Could it really be him? Lots of Lante, and Maxie and Lulu friendship! Review please. :D
1. Gone

"_I love you," Dante said, pressing close to her. "I always will. _

"_I love you, too. More than anything," she told him, knowing it was the truth. _

_They pressed their lips together, kissing each other passionately. _

_He broke apart to whisper in her ear._

"_Wake up, wake up," he whispered to her. "Wake up."_

She opened her eyes.

It was a dream. But she could still feel the taste of him on her tongue.

Dante was out risking his life for the 'greater good'. He got called in from the police force to handle an arrest from a mobster who was landing an illegal shipment.

She had been meaning to stay awake until he got home, but she must have dozed off.

She yawned and stretched herself along the length of the couch. She smiled as she thought of the dream. The dream had been so real, like he was really there.

She closed her eyes, hoping that he would come home soon.

The elevator that served as their front door began to clank noisily, announcing someone coming up.

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair; trying to look the least bit presentable.

She stood up, wrapping a blanket around her bare shoulders.

The elevator door parted, and she was dismayed to see Ronnie Dimestico there. Behind him was her brother, Lucky Spencer.

"Hey Lucky," she said, peering around Ronnie. She fixated Ronnie with a glare. "What are you doing here? You should know that Dante's working."

Lucky stepped around Ronnie. "That's why we're here.

He stepped closer and tried to draw her into a hug. She shook him off. They were both giving her pitied looks and she couldn't stand it. Looking closer, she could see that they were both actually sad themselves.

She took a step back, getting a weird feeling. "Why are you here then? Where is Dante?" she hated how her voice sounded small and weak.

Ronnie and Lucky looked at each other. Then Lucky turned back to her.

Lucky cleared his throat and began explaining. "The mob shipment got out of hand. One of them had a gun. We didn't know until too late. Two people got shot and died. One of them was Dante. I'm so sorry sweetie." Lucky could see her processing the information.

Suddenly, her eyes hardened. "You're making it up. Both of you. It's some sort of sick joke. Dante's going to walk through that door safe any minute now." Her voice shook.

Lucky knew the first stage of grief was denial. She was heading for a break.

"No, it's true," Ronnie piped up. "We're really sorry Lulu. Dante was a good cop and a good friend. We already visited Olivia and she said you should have these." He produced the two gold necklaces that Dante always wore.

The blanket fell off her shoulders and fell into a heap on the floor. She shuffled along the floor, as if in a trance, her eyes fixated on the necklace. She reached out slowly to grab them from Ronnie.

She looked at them while her eyes filled with tears. She slipped them on her neck.

It was then that she realized that he was gone.

Lucky could see the change in her eyes, in her posture.

She fell to the floor, sobbing loudly. The kind of sobs that build from the bottom, the true sorrow sobs. Once she started, she couldn't stop.

She was aware that Lucky was trying to help her, but she kept him at bay.

She felt like her heart was shattering into tiny pieces, and without Dante, she would never put them back together again. Without him, she would never be whole. Her mind felt empty, her body numb. All she could do was sob his name over and over.

One hand clutched the necklaces, her only left link of him. The other arm hugged her knees to her chest, trying to hold herself together. It was like she was falling into a deep, black hole, and she wasn't going to come back out.

Lucky couldn't stand to see his sister like this. The sobs were going right through him. He could feel the pain escalating off her.

At some point, Lulu noticed that Ronnie left. Lucky must have called Nikolas, Ethan, and Maxie, because she was aware that they were there.

But she didn't move. She didn't stop crying. She stayed where she was, wrapped in a fetal position, mourning the loss of the love of her life.

She wasn't really there. She was in her own mind, remembering all the times she and Dante had together. She tried to picture his face perfectly, and it sent her into a frenzy when she couldn't remember the smallest detail.

She wished she could go back to earlier, before he was called on the job. She would have spent the whole time with him. She would have made love to him. She would have begged him not to go if she knew what she knew now.

It wasn't fair. She needed him. They needed each other. They _loved_ each other. He couldn't just be gone.

Lulu tuned in to the world around her. Just enough to know that Maxie, her best friend, was sitting beside her, brushing back her sweaty hair. Ethan, Nikolas, and Lucky were sitting on the couch above her, talking about what they should do.

Eventually her sobs subsided, leaving her voice raspy, and her throat burning.

She stayed on the floor, but allowed Maxie to sweep her into her arms.

"I know how you feel," Maxie was saying. And she did know. She had lost Cooper to the text message killer. He was the love her life at the time. But she moved on. Lulu wasn't going to be able to move on. "And I'm going to help you through this, I promise, she said, holding her close. Without looking, Lulu could tell that she had tears in her eyes.

All Lulu could say was, "Why did he leave me? Why?" she moaned, still hurting. She wondered if the hurt would ever go away.

Maxie replied sorrowfully, "Oh Lulu, he didn't want to. He didn't want to."

* * *

_He didn't want to. He didn't plan to die. It just happened. He didn't even realize it at first._

_It was supposed to be a simple bust, just arrest them for an illegal shipment, that's it. _

_He tore himself away from Lulu to go take down the slimy mobster who was breaking the law. _

_There were four of them, Ronnie, Lucky, another officer he wasn't too familiar with, and himself. _

_They were just about to put the cuffs on them when a figure leapt from the shadows, wielding a gun. Dante heard the gunshot and heard one of the officers fall. He turned just in time to see the bullet lodging itself in his head._

_He died instantly, but he didn't realize it._

_He was just standing there next to Lucky, trying to talk to him, but it was like he couldn't hear him or see him. He looked down on the ground and saw his body lying in a heap on the ground with a gunshot wound in the head. Ronnie was calling an ambulance, but Dante could tell it was too late. _

_He remembered thinking that he wanted to see Lulu, and with a whoosh, he was suddenly there, in her dream. _

_He told her he loved her and that he always would. She said the same back and they kissed. _

_He sensed that Ronnie and Lucky were on their way and urged her to wake up._

_He was pulled roughly from the dream and was forced to watch as Lulu broke down at the news of his death. He was forced to watch, knowing that he couldn't help, no matter what he did. He wanted to tell her that he was right there, and that he would always be there for her, always watching over her. _

_Without knowing why, he was thrown into a place full of white. It was only white space. He looked around, looking for some sort of clue to why he was there._

_A man appeared._

"_Cooper Barrett." He introduced himself. "You must be Dante Falconari. Death by a bullet in the head. Working for the PCPD. That's where I worked too before I was killed."_

_Dante just looked at him with wide eyes._

"_I'm here to escort you to the other side," Cooper explained. He pointed at the white space and it revealed itself as a hell of a lot of stairs, leading into the sky._

"_Heaven," Dante realized._

_Cooper nodded. "You ready to go?"_

_Dante looked back and saw Lulu lying on the floor, bawling her eyes out. It was like looking at a small TV in the white space. He knew the answer._

_Dante turned back to Cooper. "I'm going to hang around Earth for a while." _

"_Good luck with that," Cooper chuckled. "As I'm sure you figured out, no one can see or hear you. You're a ghost, or as we like to be called Angels."_

"_I need to help her through this," Dante said, turning back to the small image of Lulu. _

_Cooper nodded, understanding. "You can always return to this place. I'll be here, waiting to bring you up there." _

_Dante smiled. "Thanks man."_

_Cooper left and Dante forced himself out of the white space and back to Lulu._

_He would help her get over him, then he would return to his place in heaven. _

_He would be her Angel, like Cooper said._

_He chuckled._

_Her Guardian Angel. _


	2. Waking Up Alone

She had dozed off for 10 minutes at the most in the middle of the night. She had woken up and turned over, expecting Dante to be lying there next to her, snoring softly like he normally did. When she found the bed empty, the events came rushing back to her.

Lulu was lying on the bed, but she didn't sleep anymore. She didn't think she ever could. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the gun being pointed at Dante's head and…and she didn't even want to go there.

She looked over at the couch. Maxie was there. She had stayed over, even after Lulu had pitched a fit about not needing anyone's help. Her brothers left, going back to their perfect lives.

She turned over on her side, facing the window. It was bright outside, contradicting her bleak feelings.

She lay on Dante's pillow, inhaling the scent of him. Every time she thought of him, her eyes still filled with tears. It was like she still expected him to come through the door or to be in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.

She stuck her hand in her mouth to keep from crying out or sobbing; she didn't want to wake Maxie up. That's why she didn't want anyone here. She wanted to grieve in her own way, by herself.

On the nightstand beside her, she saw a picture. It was of her and Dante, taken not too long ago. Dante had insisted that they needed a picture of them, so he grabbed the camera and they went to find a spot to take a picture. Once he found the perfect spot, he asked a stranger on the street to take it.

Dante must have developed it without her knowing.

They were both glowing in the picture, smiling and holding on to each other. It was obvious they were in love. And alive. Very much alive.

She clutched the picture to her chest, making the necklaces jingle together.

She would never be the same. Dante was the one for her. She loved him, she _loves_ him so much. She doesn't want him to be gone.

She closed her eyes and thought back to the time they first made love. Oh it had been the most wonderful thing. There was such passion and love that was built up between them. They fit together like they were made for each other.

She opened her eyes. They would never have moments like that again. She would only have the memory.

Her thoughts turned hateful. If she ever saw that mobster, she would kill him herself.

That got her thinking. She didn't know who it was, but when she found out, she could go after him. She wouldn't rest until she killed him.

She shivered as she got a sudden chill.

But that wasn't what Dante would want. He would want her to move on, stay safe. But she would never move on. She wouldn't even try. And what was the point of staying safe anymore?

She had been crying silent tears for a while and she didn't notice until she had soaked the pillow and wet pieces of hair were sticking to her face.

She sighed; this would never get easier.

* * *

_Dante was lying in the bed next to Lulu, she just didn't know it._

_He could clearly hear her thoughts, and was extremely worried when she started talking about going after the mobster who had killed him. The mobster was already in a cell, awaiting trial anyway. _

_Every time he reached out a hand to comfort her, it passed right through her. He saw her shiver every time he passed through her. It made him so angry that he was so close to her, watching her pain and watching her miss him and he couldn't talk to her or hold her close. It was frustrating._

_He would need to talk to Cooper, or someone else who had been an Angel for a long time. He needed to appear to Lulu. She needed him, and he needed her. _

_He thought hard and focused on his hand, trying to make it materialize so he could just touch her, once. Sweat formed on his brow, and when he reached out to touch her…_

_It passed through her again._

_He sighed loudly, but of course, no one noticed. _

_He sat up and glanced back to the couch. He was grateful to see Maxie there. He was afraid of what Lulu might do if she was here by herself. She was lucky to have such a great friend. _

_He gave one last loving glance at Lulu, and then summoned the whiteness around him. _

_He wanted to wait for Cooper and ask him some questions._

* * *

Maxie was stirring on the couch. She sat up and stretched. She glanced at the bed and saw Lulu lying on her side.

"Lulu, are you awake?" she called softly.

Lulu shifted and looked at Maxie with hollow eyes.

She looked awful. Her makeup had dried in streaks down her face and she had huge bags under her eyes. The most awful thing was, she didn't seem to care.

"Did you sleep at all?" Maxie asked, folding up the blanket she had slept with.

Lulu shook her head and sat up. She hugged her knees to her chest. Maxie could see a picture frame on the bed beside her.

Maxie stepped closer to the bed and sat on the end. She saw Lulu flinch. Of course; she was sitting on Dante's side.

"Can I see?" she asked, pointing to the picture.

Lulu handed her the picture reluctantly.

"Aaw, this is cute," she said, smiling at Lulu.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see him getting shot." She said, digging her nails into the side of her face. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain.

"Stop!" Maxie exclaimed, reaching up and slapping Lulu's hands away. She tried not to look at the little nail marks that were left on the skin. She took a deep breath. She held up the picture for Lulu to see. "This is how you have to remember him, Lu. When you close your eyes, you have to picture all the special memories you had with him. You can't picture his death. It will only make it harder."

"I…I don't know how to go on without him," she said to Maxie. "How did you do it with Cooper?"

Maxie looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. "It was hard. Really hard. I felt like you do now. Hopeless, not wanting to do anything. But I promise it gets easier. It gets easier, but it never fully goes away."

Lulu reached out her hand, and grasped Maxie's with hers. They were going to need each other through this.

So they sat, hand in hand, feeding off of each other's strength.

Maxie broke off first. "Alright, so do you want to take a shower first or should I?" She stood up, grabbing her overnight bag from behind the couch.

"I don't want to get up," Lulu complained. "If I go in there, I'm going to have to see the things he used every day. Like his toothbrush, and then I'll think that he won't ever be able to use those things again."

"So keep thinking about those memories. Think about what he looked like, what you liked about him, when he told you he loved you. Those kinds of things. It will overpower the bad. Trust me," Maxie said. She grabbed Lulu by the arm and dragged her to the bathroom. "You're going to take a shower first. You can do this."

Lulu closed the door behind her.

She did just what Maxie told her to do. It still hurt, but it wasn't as bad as seeing the bad things that could have happened to him.

When she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy towel, she felt a little better. Plus she was clean and fresh.

Maxie was looking through the cabinets, probably for something to eat.

"We didn't go food shopping yet. We were planning on going tomorrow I think," Lulu choked on the end of it.

Maxie pretended not to notice. Sometimes, you needed to work things out yourself. She knew that better than anyone.

"Well, that's okay. I'll go take my shower now." She grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom.

Lulu was grateful for the silence. She loved Maxie and appreciated what she was doing, but she needed to be alone for a little while.

She looked through her drawers for something to wear. It was mostly designer clothes that she had from working with Kate.

But Lulu didn't feel like dressing up today. There was no one left to impress.

She looked out the window; it was still sunny, but looks could be deceiving. Sure enough, when she opened the window, she was met with a blast of cold air.

She returned to the bureau and pulled out some comfortable dark jeans and a pale long sleeved shirt.

She grabbed her brush and stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair out slowly. Since her hair was so long, she liked to make sure she got out all the tangles. The necklaces glinted from the sun that came through the window.

She closed her eyes remembering one day with Dante…

...

"What are you looking at?" Lulu giggled. She was brushing her hair out in front of the mirror, like she usually did. She was still wrapped in her towel and Dante was sitting on the bed behind her. She was watching him watching her through the mirror.

"You're just very beautiful," he replied, a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Yeah, really beautiful while I brush out my mop of hair," she rolled her eyes.

She heard the bed creak and he was behind her.

He wrapped his hand around hers that was clutching the brush. Her fingers loosened and he put the brush down.

He put his head down beside hers. He looked at the mirror, showing their reflections, side by side. "We're perfect for each other," he said simply. "I mean look at us." He smiled when she laughed.

He pulled back and kissed her bare shoulder. She threw her head back, showering him with water droplets on his bare back.

"Just perfect." She smiled back and pressed her lips to his.

...

She opened her eyes, and looked at herself in the mirror. There was such a difference in her appearance from that day to this one.

She quickly finished her hair, lest she be reminded of any more unexpected memories. She pulled her hair into a long, sleek ponytail.

She was still cold, chilled down to her bone.

She went to get one of her sweatshirts, but then switched directions and yanked open one of Dante's drawers.

She sifted through them for only a moment before finding what she needed.

It was a heavy sweatshirt, a navy blue color. She wasn't sure where he got it, but it was comfortable and warm and she had always loved him in it when he wore it.

She tugged it on, leaving it unzipped. It smelled just like him. She sighed, pleased.

Maxie came out of the bathroom, dressed like a supermodel. Lulu could tell it was taking all her self control to not to strip off her bummy outfit.

"So, if you're hungry, we can head out. Go to Kelly's maybe or wherever you want," Maxie said, taking control.

"Don't you have to go to work? And I don't really want to go anywhere," Lulu said.

"I called Kate and explained what was going on. She's not completely heartless. She granted us both a leave of absence. And you have to eat Lulu. You can't hole yourself up in here forever," said Maxie. She went around gathering some of her things and putting them in her bag.

"Maybe not forever, but I can for now," she said stubbornly.

Maxie thought for a moment. "I know where we are going. Let's go," she demanded, grabbing her purse and heading to the elevator.

She pulled it open and stepped inside. "Come on!" she huffed.

Lulu didn't move. She wasn't ready for this.

Maxie stormed off the elevator and grabbed Lulu by the arm, half dragging her to the elevator. She closed the doors sharply.

Lulu stayed, staring straight ahead, trying to block out everything. She wanted to crawl inside herself and not come out.

"You will appreciate this, don't worry," Maxie was saying.

Lulu didn't answer.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to comment. Good or bad, so I know what you guys might like to see in the future. :D **_

**_xoxo  
Janelle._**


	3. Blame Game

Maxie knocked lightly on Olivia Falconari's apartment door.

Lulu had recognized the place when they pulled in. she couldn't believe Maxie thought this would help. If anything, it might make it worse.

The door opened and Steve Webber was standing there. "She's not ready to see anyone yet…" He trailed off when he saw who it was. "Lulu, Maxie, come in."

_**A/N: Forgot to mention, Olivia and Steve are together in this story **_

Maxie thanked Steve and stepped in. Lulu stepped in hesitantly behind her, avoiding Steve's eyes.

All the shades were drawn to a close and it was as dark as it could be in the little apartment. It was silent and eerie. Fortunately, Lulu didn't mind. It echoed her feelings perfectly.

Lulu looked over and saw Olivia sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. She was staring into space, not seeming to register any one there. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and she looked terrible. She seemed to be having a worse time than Lulu, excepting the news of Dante's passing.

_That was probably exactly what I looked like last night and this morning. Without Maxie, I don't know what I would do,_ she thought to herself.

"Olivia?" Lulu said her name tentatively, afraid that she would cause Olivia more pain by being there. Lulu was having a hard time being there, visiting Dante mother without him by her side. She wasn't sure that Olivia seeing her was going to make anything better.

Olivia turned her head slowly, seeming to snap out of her trance like state. "Oh Lulu, come here sweetie," she said, holding out her arms.

Lulu collapsed into them and they sobbed, holding on tight to each other. They were both consumed with grief and it felt good to share it with someone.

When they stopped crying enough that they could talk, Olivia said, "You're wearing his sweatshirt."

"Yeah, I know. I couldn't help it," she explained bashfully. "It makes me feel closer to him. I can't really accept that he is gone."

"I know baby, I know," Olivia said. She sniffled. "He loved you a lot you know. Talked about you all the time." Lulu looked at her, eyebrows raised. "I'm serious."

"He talked about you all the time, too. I always thought it was funny when he called you his Ma. I never understood the whole Bensonhurst thing," Lulu laughed, in spite of the recent events.

Olivia joined in. "I liked it when he called me that, too."

"I always wanted him to take me there. He promised me someday he would. Now he can't," she finished sorrowfully. She remembered how animated Dante became when he told her about his childhood.

Olivia paused for a moment. "Would you like me to tell you about when Dante was growing up?"

"I would love that," Lulu said seriously. Then she smiled tearfully.

Olivia racked her brain for the perfect story. Deciding on one, she began to tell it. Lulu listened intently. She noticed that Olivia had the same look in her eye when she talked about something or someone she cared about, just like Dante.

So, Lulu and Olivia sat there on the couch, swapping stories about Dante. They laughed, they cried.

Lulu was surprised that she was actually feeling a great deal better. She thought this visit would be a hassle for both herself and Olivia. Turns out, they needed it more than anything.

Maxie and Steve quietly slunk into the kitchen as they watched the two of them bonding.

"How's Olivia been holding up," Maxie asked Steve in a low voice.

"About as well as expected, I guess. I mean, she lost her only son. That's got to be hard," Steve said. Maxie could see the toll this was taking on him. He loved Olivia, but he didn't know how to help. At least Maxie had some experience with dealing with loss.

"Yeah, Lulu lost the man she loved. She is not taking it all that well. This visit is doing wonders for her," Maxie said.

She went into the cabinet and pulled out two glasses for herself and Steve. She filled it with some wine and handed one to Steve.

He gulped it down greedily. "Don't you have to drive home?" he asked her.

Nodding in the direction of Lulu and Olivia she said, "I think we will be here a while."

* * *

_Dante watched as his Ma and Lulu bonded over reminiscing about him. _

_Honestly, he wished his Ma didn't tell some of the stories. If he was still alive, Lulu would never let him live it down. _

_Really though, he was glad someone was there, helping his Ma to be strong._

_When he was not with Lulu or waiting to talk with Cooper, he was watching over his Ma. _

_She was taking his death as hard as Lulu, if not worse._

_He wished he had visited his Ma more often. It might have made it easier. _

_After he had left Lulu at their apartment, he went to go see if Cooper could help him._

_Cooper never showed up. It was like he was avoiding him. Could Angel's ignore each other? What did they do in heaven anyway? _

_Dante had so many questions, and even though he never would admit it, he was a little scared at everything that had happened. And his future was uncertain. _

_So to entertain himself, he liked to check on the two people he cared the most about; his Ma and Lulu._

_He liked watching them. If he weren't dead, it might be really cool._

_He wished they could see him._

_He had an idea._

_He walked closer to them and reached out with both hands…_

* * *

"Oh, did you feel that?" Olivia paused in one of her stories.

"Yeah, I just got a chill," Lulu said, burying herself deeper into Dante's sweatshirt. She didn't want to say it for fear of sounding insane, but it felt much different than a regular chill. It went straight to the bone.

"It's like I can feel him here," Olivia said suddenly, looking around.

"You think he watches over us in heaven?" Lulu asked, following Olivia's gaze. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt off too. This chill was just like the one she got at the house. Could Dante be trying to reach out to them?

Olivia shook her head, dismissing the thought of any fantasy. She was hardly one to believe in ghosts. And to think her own son might be a ghost was too unsettling. "Of course, he must," Olivia finally answered Lulu's question.

They sat in silence after that. They were wrapped in their own individual thoughts and the mood had darkened considerably. All the happy feelings they had had swapping their stories of Dante were gone, replaced again by their depression and loss of someone they both loved with all their hearts. They were sitting next to each other, but it was like they were alone in the room.

Maxie and Steve, having noticed the lull in the conversation, came into the living room from the kitchen.

"So, you ready to go home?" Maxie asked Lulu.

"I…" Lulu didn't really want to leave. This was where she felt most comfortable. She was with Dante's mother, who out of anyone, would understand her grief most. She didn't want to be a burden, but she didn't want to back to the apartment that she and Dante shared would be too horrible. Everything she saw or touched carried some memory of him.

Thankfully, she was spared from answering when a sharp knock on the door sounded.

Everyone froze.

Maxie chuckled nervously at their behavior. Steve recovered first and went to go get the door.

They were all surprised when Sonny Corinthos barged through the door.

"Sonny, get out. This isn't the time," Steve was barking at him.

Of course, Sonny being the man he was ignored him. He locked eyes with Olivia, barely noticing that Maxie and Lulu were in the room.

"Where you going to tell me?" he demanded of Olivia.

Lulu studied Sonny closely. Sonny was a mobster, so of course, he didn't cry over the loss of his son. But he was suffering in his own way. He was tired and had a look of sorrow. Sonny may be a jerk, but he cared about his kids. At least, that's what everyone said.

"This isn't about you Sonny. We are all suffering a great loss," Olivia was saying back to Sonny, but Lulu tuned them out.

Lulu realized that Sonny was a mobster, just like the person who shot Dante. Her blood boiled and her body tensed up.

Maxie, who noticed the change in her body posture, stood up to try and stop Lulu, but Lulu snapped.

Lulu jumped at Sonny from behind. Sonny had turned a fraction of the way toward her when he heard her move behind him, and her fist connected with the side of his face.

It probably hurt, but the look on Sonny's face was more of shock. Steve had grabbed Lulu from behind to stop her from going after him again, but she was struggling with all her might to get to him.

"It's because of scum like you that Dante is dead! He was trying to be a great cop and it cost him his life! He's gone forever because of mobsters like you. The man I love is gone because of you. I hope you rot in hell!" Lulu screamed at him. Lulu couldn't see her face, but she was sure it was scrunched up with hate. She was crying again she soon realized.

She saw how her words affected Sonny, and she was pleased. She stopped fighting against Steve and fell to her knees, so overcome with emotions that she just wanted to collapse. Steve didn't let go of her, but tried to calm her down. She turned so she didn't have to look at Sonny and sobbed into Steve's shoulder. She almost wished her Dad was here, but Steve was close enough.

Olivia had started to cry again and Maxie could see the indecision on Steve's face; he wanted to go to Olivia, but Lulu was in more of a state.

Maxie looked at Sonny levelly. "I think it's time for you to go," she said coolly.

Sonny left without another word, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

_Dante could only look on helplessly as his loved ones tore themselves to shreds._


	4. The Funeral

_**Thanks for all the wonderful comments.  
Sorry it took so long to update, but I was working on my other story, "The Port Charles Love Wars."  
You should go check it out; it has Lante in it too.**_

_**Anyway, enjoy this chapter; let me know what you think. **_

* * *

It had been a few days since Lulu's visit with Dante. After Sonny's outburst, everyone had calmed down enough to talk about the funeral arrangements. Olivia had said that Lulu deserved some say in what happened. Lulu had given some input, just glad to be included.

Now the day had finally arrived. Dante's funeral.

Lulu had convinced Maxie to go home a couple of days ago. Lulu knew she wasn't completely comfortable unless she was at her own home. With Maxie gone, Lulu could finally grieve in private, the way she wanted to.

But today, Dante's big Italian family would be there. Lulu had never met them, and she was anxious to meet the people Dante talked so highly about. She only wished it wasn't on such sad notice. They were all doing the same thing; grieving and remembering the loss of a loved one.

So, Lulu sat on the couch, dressed in a slimming black dress. Her hair was in long, elegant curls, with a pouf on the top. She even wore the barest hint of makeup. Maxie would have been proud, considering Lulu would usually lounge around the house all day in Dante's sweatshirts.

She got up, ready to grab her car keys and get going. She could already feel a lump forming in her throat. She looked out the window. It looked like it was getting ready for a big storm.

Lulu grabbed her keys but stopped in her tracks when she heard the whirring of the elevator.

When Dante had first passed, every time she heard the elevator, hope surged through her, and she expected Dante's smiling face on the other side of that door.

Today, she felt no hope. Today would be the end.

Lulu was still surprised when the elevator door opened and Nikolas, Lucky, and Ethan were standing there.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked. She gave them a glance and noticed that they were in respectable clothing for a funeral.

"We thought our little sister could use some support today," Lucky said.

"Especially today," Nikolas added.

Ethan looked uncomfortable in his tux, but he gave her a crooked smile.

"Aaw, you guys didn't have to do this," she said. She kept quiet after that, too overcome by emotion.

Ethan swept forward and gathered her in a hug. Lucky and Nikolas followed.

"Look at all us Spencer's," Lucky joked, and everyone chuckled.

"Yeah, everyone except Mom and Dad," Lulu commented, wiping her tears. "A Spencer reunion doesn't happen very often. Thank you guys so much for doing this for me," she said again.

"Actually," Ethan said. "There's one more Spencer." He opened the door that led out to the hallway.

Lulu's jaw dropped. "Daddy!" she squeaked and ran into the arms of Luke Spencer. She felt like a little kid, and she probably looked ridiculous, but she didn't care.

"Hey Lulu, didn't know you missed your old man this much," he said, wrapping his arms around his only daughter.

"Stop it Dad, you've been gone for a long time," she said, shedding silent tears.

"I heard what happened, and we couldn't let you do this alone. Your Mom, she knows too. Of course, she wishes she could be here," Luke whispered into her ear.

"Dad, it's horrible. I miss him so much," she whispered back.

Luke pulled back. "Well, we Spencer's are strong," he said, addressing all his children, and Nikolas. "And we will make it through today."

Lulu boarded the elevator, surrounded by her family; going to face what she was certain was going to be the worst day of her life.

* * *

Maxie had waited outside the church doors for Lulu, who had insisted on getting ready by herself. Maxie gave a smile of approval at her choice of outfit as she approached.

If Maxie was surprised at Luke's presence, she didn't show it. She was here to comfort Lulu, and that's what she was going to do.

"Hi Lu," Maxie said softly. "You ready?"

"No," Lulu answered, but Maxie took her hand, giving her added strength.

Making sure her family was still with her, they all entered the church as the first raindrops began to fall.

The church was set up beautifully. In fact, the church itself was amazing.

Flowers were everywhere, adding a splash of color. White candles burned brightly, and the smell of incense was almost overwhelming. People filled the benches; small kids and seniors. Everyone who Dante had affected in his lifetime, however short that was.

It was perfect.

Lulu spotted Olivia up front, and everyone followed her up to the altar.

The altar was elaborately decorated. The priest stood behind it, getting everything prepared.

The casket was placed just to the left of the altar. Lulu almost dropped right there.

It was an open casket.

Now that was a detail that she had over looked. She gulped, but never broke stride as she went to Olivia.

"Hi Olivia," Lulu said, looking down and peering out from under her lashes.

"Oh, hi baby," Olivia said, pulling her into a hug. Lulu wondered if Olivia had looked into the casket yet.

"Olivia, I'd like you to meet my Dad, Luke Spencer," Lulu introduced. Her Dad really had been gone a long time if he hadn't met Olivia yet.

"So this is the famous Luke Spencer," she gave him a watery smile. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Luke said, as charming as ever. He held out his hand for her to shake, but she ignored it, instead giving him a hug.

"Lucky, Ethan, Nikolas," Olivia said, acknowledging them all.

"Where would you like us to sit?" Lulu asked.

"Well, I was hoping you would sit up front with me and some of Dante's other family if that's okay. Your family can sit right behind you," Olivia pointed to the first pew. She turned away as she greeted another guest.

Lulu turned and went to make her way to the first pew. Everywhere she looked, she saw bits of Dante. Whether it was a smile, or his eyes, he was there, in his family.

She grabbed Maxie's arm, and after Maxie talked to Olivia, Maxie led her to the first pew and sat with her.

There was an older lady who was sitting there beside her, who turned to her when she sat down. When Lulu looked at her, she could see Dante's face shape.

"I'm Dante's grandmother," the sweet lady said by way of introduction. "You must be the beautiful Lulu."

Lulu blushed. "Oh are you the Grandmother that cooks so well?" Lulu chuckled. "Dante talked about you all the time. Almost any time he walked into the kitchen."

"Yes, that's me," Dante's grandmother laughed, though there was sad tinge to it. "Dante talked about you all the time, too. You are such a nice girl," she said. She reached out and took Lulu's hand. For a frail looking woman, she had a firm grip. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Yes, you too," Lulu agreed.

Dante's grandmother introduced Lulu to all of Dante's uncles and aunts, who were also sitting in the first pew. They all reminded her so much of Dante. Everyone she met had tears in their eyes, so she didn't feel too embarrassed about crying.

Lulu was glad Maxie was there, or else she might feel too overwhelmed.

Olivia came forward and knelt down to whisper to Lulu. "Hey, do you want to give a speech about Dante? I was asking people who really made an impact on his life, and you are definitely one of them. I know it is on such short notice, but it would really mean a lot…"

Olivia looked so hopeful, that even though she was terrified of public speaking, she agreed. She just couldn't say no to Dante's mother.

She blew out a breath of relief. "Thank you so much." She took her hand and kissed it. She straightened back up and left, more tears shining in her eyes. She was trying to be strong, but she just couldn't do it. Her baby wasn't here anymore.

Someone sat down on the other side of Maxie and Lulu jumped.

"Oh, hey Steve," Maxie chirped.

He nodded, and then looked past Maxie at Lulu. "How are you holding up?"

"About as good as expected I guess," Lulu shrugged. "It's nice that you're here for Olivia."

"There isn't a place I'd rather be," he said honestly.

They lapsed into silence as the priest took his spot behind the altar. Olivia appeared out of nowhere and sat down beside Steve, gripping his hand.

And the ceremony started.

* * *

"_We are gathered here today, to celebrate the loss of a loved one," the priest started. _

_Dante was walking around the church, half listening to the priest. He knew this was his funeral, but he was still kind of in denial. This whole thing was just hard to believe. _

_He saw Lulu in the front row, flanked by Maxie on one side and his large family by the other. His family had accepted Lulu, even though they didn't really know her. _

_He knew that the casket was open, but he steered clear of it. He was not looking forward to seeing his still body lying in there. He wondered whose idea it was to have an open casket; that couldn't have been good for his Ma or Lulu. _

_Thinking of his Ma, he located her, sitting next to Steve and her mother, his grandmother. Steve was stroking her hand lightly and her face was puffy from crying. She kept looking up at the priest, then glancing towards the casket, and finally at her lap, letting loose a fresh bout of tears. _

_He walked toward her, feet barely skimming the floor. He reached out his arms, wanting to give her a hug. _

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice sounded behind him. _

_He whirled around and saw the shimmering form of Cooper. _

"_Don't you show up at the most opportune times," Dante said sarcastically. "I've been looking for you for a while now." _

_Cooper shrugged. "I've been busy. And why are you whispering? You do remember they can't hear you right?" _

_Dante hadn't realized he had lowered his voice. "It's a habit I guess." _

"_Any reason you're hanging out at your funeral?" Cooper asked, plopping into one of pews in the back. His shimmering form was becoming more substantial. _

"_I don't know. It seemed like the right thing to do." Dante sighed, sitting down next to Cooper. " I don't know what to do man."_

"_What do you mean?" Cooper questioned. _

"_I decided to stay here, but I can't do anything. But I can't make myself go to heaven; I feel like I have to do something first. But…what?" Dante tried explaining. "Am I making any sense?" _

_Cooper nodded thoughtfully. "I get it completely. I did the same thing when I first passed. I didn't want to leave Maxie. I figured out what I had to do by myself. Lucky you, you have me to help. But I can't tell you what you have to do; that you have to figure out for yourself. But I can help you get started," Cooper said, standing up._

"_How are you going to help?" Dante inquired. _

"_Want to know how to appear to your friends and family?" Cooper laughed at the hopeful glint in Dante's eyes. "Come with me, we can get started." His figure started to fade and it was clear that he wanted Dante to follow. _

"_Wait!" Dante called out. Cooper immediately stopped fading. "Can I stay, just until they leave the church?"_

"_Yeah, sure man. You know where to find me," Cooper said._

_Dante smirked at Cooper's fading image._

_He waited until he was completely gone to tune back into the priest._

_He turned around just in time to see Lulu walk up to the podium to give her speech._

_She looked stunning in the black dress she was wearing, and her hair shone; she looked just like an angel. The irony was not lost on him. _

_He couldn't help but notice the little things. How she had lost so much weight, how she bit her lip to keep from crying, how her legs shook as she made her way to stand behind the podium. And most of all, he noticed how she carefully avoided her eyes from the casket that was glaring open in front of her._

_He settled into the bench, really wanting to hear what she had to say._

"And now Miss Lulu Spencer will say some words," the priest introduced her quietly and gestured for her to come up.

Lulu froze, and she felt like she couldn't move. It was only a sharp nudge from Maxie that got her moving.

She climbed unsteadily to her feet and made her way shakily up to where the priest was standing.

As she approached, she could feel everyone's eyes on her. She couldn't make herself look in to see Dante's body laying there in the casket. She focused her eyes ahead and somehow made it to the podium. Her heels echoed loudly and she cringed.

The priest graciously stepped aside. He folded his hands and bent his head, respectably listening to what she had to say and transferring that into God's words.

She took a deep breath and turned around. She felt a sheen of sweat covering her back, though the weather was a bit chilly. She thought she saw a shimmer in the back of the church and her eyes narrowed. But she ignored it, feeling it wasn't important right now. Only Dante was. She looked out at all of Dante's friends and family, all his loved ones.

They were looking at her expectantly; their sad, grieving faces were craving to hear stories of their lost one.

Lulu had never been one for public speaking, but this was different. She was doing this for Dante. She would do anything for Dante, even now.

She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat and she started to speak. She had no clue what she was going to say, but when she started, she realized she couldn't stop. There was just so much to say about Dante.

"Dante first came to me as Dominic Pirelli, an undercover cop. He kept flirting with me, but I kept pushing him away. My heart had been broken before, so I had put up walls. Dante broke down those walls. I really started to like him, and once he got through to me, my life has never been the same. Dante meant the world to me. He was always there when I needed him. He saved my life countless times. And when he asked me to move in with him, I didn't think twice. I spent all the time I could with him. He made me so happy. He understood me better than anyone else has. Thankfully, his mother accepted me. He always talked about his family, and I always wanted to meet them. Too bad it had to be under such circumstances that I actually did get to meet them. When Dante talked to me about any of you, his eyes came alive and I felt like I did know you guys before I saw you. Dante has affected Port Charles more than any one has before. He especially affected my life, in the best way possible. I loved- I _love_ him so much. I'm not sure how I'm going to live without him. I will never forget him. He was honestly the one for me, and I will never forget him. Rest in peace, Dante Angelo Falconari. We'll miss you."

Lulu stepped down, and started back to her seat. She could tell that everyone appreciated her speech. She didn't realize it, but she felt a lot better now that she got to share her personal view of Dante with other people who loved him.

She sat through the rest of the reception, listening intently to Dante's family tell stories about when he was a baby and a little kid and even a teenager. Stories about when she didn't even know him. Though that was difficult to imagine, not knowing Dante.

She laughed at some of the stories, cried at others. But the funeral was good for her. It was helping her to accept that even though Dante was gone from this world, he would still live on in her heart.

She looked up toward heaven, having a strong feeling that Dante was listening right now.

* * *

Everyone was making their way to their cars, heading towards the cemetery to bury the casket.

Lulu lingered until it was just her and the priest in the church.

The priest noticed her still sitting there. "They're going to move the casket soon, dear," he said to her, keeping his voice respectably low in the church.

"Yes I know," she said. She gave him a small smile. "You did a wonderful job today."

"Why, thank you." He sensed her need to be alone. "I'll see you at the cemetery then?"

She nodded and he walked out.

Only when the doors shut did she get up and make her way to the casket. It was still open. She needed to look in there. She needed to see the man she loved one last time.

Her breathing became labored even before she neared the casket.

The casket was beautiful. A shiny new black, no flaws. There was a white ribbon tied on the side with a single red rose tucked into it. His badge also glinted off the dim lighting. Since he had died on the job, the cops were going to give them a police escort to the cemetery. A recent picture of Dante had been blown up and hung behind the casket for everyone to see and remember.

Her steps echoed even louder, now that she was alone here.

She approached the casket. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears and she felt faint, but she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't do this.

She leaned over the side of the casket and saw Dante lying there. He looked so much like his usual self; like he was only sleeping. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded neatly over his stomach. He was wearing a tux, which reminded her of the time that he took her to the opera. The only thing that was off was his coloring; his normally olive skin tone had turned a ghostly pale. Other than that, she would think that he would open his eyes, sit up and sweep her in his arms right now.

She started to sob, not trying to hold back. This was the last time she would ever see him. She reached into the casket, tracing a finger down his cheek. He was cold to the touch. "I love you, Dante Falconari," she said, her breath hitching. She thought about how he would never say those words back to her and she lost it.

She slunk down to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. She wanted to see his warm brown eyes to look at her with love again; she wanted to hear his voice. Now all she had was his lifeless body.

Her sobs must have been loud enough to attract the attention of someone, because she heard footsteps.

"Lulu, are you okay?" It was the voice of Johnny Zacchara, the man who had first broken her heart.

She didn't answer, didn't feel the need to.

Without another word, he swept her into his arms, just as she had wanted Dante to do moments before. "Shh, don't cry; he wouldn't want you to tear yourself about this. He still loves you, even though he is with God now, he won't ever forget about you," he told her.

She pulled back to look him in the eye. "If there was a God, he wouldn't have taken Dante away."

* * *

The casket was being slowly lowered into the ground. Earlier, there was a chorus singing "Amazing Grace." It had been a pretty image, something Dante deserved.

Most of the people had already started disperse; it had started thundering just a short while ago. It seemed like it was revving for a really big storm.

Now only Lulu remained, with Olivia standing on the other side of the hole Dante was being lowered into. Olivia was standing there, crying, the tears blending in with the rain.

Lightning crackled, making the hair on Lulu's arm stand on end. She ignored it.

Lulu didn't cry; she was done crying. When Dante died, something inside her hardened, never to be the same again.

She was soaked, her dress sticking to her and her hair losing its curl. What was left of her makeup disappeared.

She thought back to what she said to Johnny and now she was honestly starting to believe that there was no such thing as God.

Lulu made a snap decision. If she ever found the man who killed Dante, she would destroy him…

Even if she died trying.

* * *

_No one noticed the change in Lulu, no one but Dante. _

_She got a cold, hard look in her eyes, her hands were clenched into fists, and she wasn't crying anymore. Something in Lulu had permanently snapped. _

_She turned her face up to the rain, letting it soak her. _

_She glared at the casket until it was completely submerged in the ground. _

_Dante desperately needed Cooper to show him how to appear to Lulu. _

_Dante couldn't explain it, but he could feel Lulu slipping away, but there was nothing that he could do. _


	5. Forming A Plan

"Lulu, I need you to focus, I called you down here for a reason," Lucky scolded gently.

**_It had only been a few weeks since the funeral, and Lucky was worried about his sister. He sensed a change about her that he couldn't quite place._**

Lulu met Lucky's gaze. "Alright, I'm listening."

Lucky had called her from Kate's office to the police station, saying that he 'had something important to tell her.'

Lucky sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Something's different about you, Lu. You're distant, not letting anyone in."

"Of course I'm different Lucky, Dante's dead," Lulu snapped. "Now can you please just tell me what it is you have to tell me?"

Lucky eyed her warily. Then he leaned forward on his elbows, looking around to make sure no one else was listening. "Brace yourself, this is big."

Lulu leaned toward her brother. "Try me."

"We made a breakthrough in Dante's case. We found the man who shot him. We have him in lock up now, no chance of bail. We are going to court tonight. If we get a conviction, then he will be put on Death Row for killing a cop," Lucky spit it all out at once, unsure of how Lulu's reaction would be.

"You caught the man who killed Dante?" she asked slowly. Then she seemed to process the rest of what was said. "What do you mean _if _we get a conviction? You wouldn't have arrested him without proof."

"We got a grainy video that was watching the shipment. We can almost certainly identify him as the killer, but there are always some doubts, Lulu. We are doing the best we can," Lucky told her.

Lulu sat back, blinking rapidly. She was totally caught off guard. She had no clue that it was even going to be possible for them to find the man who murdered Dante.

She thought back to the day of the funeral. She had vowed that no matter what, she was going to avenge Dante's death. Now there might be a chance to do just that.

She was shocked by the white hot feeling of hatred she got at even the slightest mention of Dante's killer. She had never felt that way about anyone before. But she absolutely hated this person she had never met with every ounce of her being.

She blinked as something became clear. "I need to go to his trial," she said, standing up. "I need to go to his trial," she repeated a little louder.

"Shhhh, Lulu, sit down," Lucky hissed as other cops looked over at them, annoyed expressions on their faces.

She reluctantly took her seat, but she was persistent. "Please Lucky; I really need to be there."

"Why?" he asked incredulously. "I would think you would want to put yourself as far away from this as possible. Why put yourself through this torture?"

Lulu was silent for a moment, searching for an answer that Lucky would buy. She scratched at the wood surface of the desk. Finally she spoke. "I don't know how to explain it Lucky. All I know is that I have to be there to make sure the bastard who killed Dante is getting what he deserves."

Lucky searched his sister's face, looking for a sign that the old Lulu was in there. She watched him watching her, but she kept her face carefully masked, her eyes not betraying anything.

"Alright," he sighed, rubbing his face with his hand.

"Thank you so much," she breathed in relief. Lucky saw something flash across her face, but it was gone as quick as it had come.

She stood up, sliding her purse up her arm. Lucky stood up too, giving Lulu a quick hug before getting back to work. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then she was gone.

Lucky tried to focus on his work, but he got this weird feeling that Lulu had an ulterior motive for being at the trial.

* * *

Lulu swept out of the PCPD, a new spring in her step.

She had convinced Lucky to let her go to the trial; it was almost too easy. Under normal circumstances, she might never be able to go to the trial. But this was different; something she had to do.

She started formulating a plan in her head as she drove back to the Crimson office.

This would be too easy, way too easy. It was almost like someone was putting the pieces in place, just for her.

Lulu looked at her watch as she climbed aboard the elevator. She would have to leave her shift a few minutes earlier just to get ready. She doubted Kate would mind; she had been lenient ever since Dante was murdered.

The elevator dinged and the doors parted. She entered the office.

Maxie was on the phone, but she swiveled around in her chair to smile at Lulu.

Lulu smiled back, but it was for her own personal reasons. She took a seat at her desk.

She was still smiling when Maxie got off the phone.

"What's that smile for?" she asked. "It's really creeping me out."

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," she replied mysteriously.

Maxie, too busy filing papers and answering phone calls, didn't notice the underlying truth in that statement. If she had, would the following events turned out differently?

* * *

"_I don't think I'm getting this at all," Dante said, sweat on his brow as he concentrated with all his might. _

"_Focus," Cooper chanted. "Come on, you got this."_

_Dante blocked out everything and reached out to pick up the rock on the ground. He held it for a second before letting it fall to the ground, out of breath._

"_See, now you're getting somewhere," Cooper said encouragingly patting Dante on the back. _

_Dante had been working with Cooper for a couple of days now, learning and absorbing everything he could._

_As of now, he could make himself appear to regular people, not just other angels. The rule was that you could only appear to one person at a time. He was still working on touching things, and making himself tangible so that other people could touch him. It was a lot more difficult then he realized._

_As soon as he had learned to make himself appear to mortals, he had wanted to rush to see Lulu right away. Cooper had warned him, though, that she would probably think she was going crazy since she wouldn't be able to touch him or talk to him. _

_So he decided to hold off until he could perform all the unusual tricks that Cooper could. He couldn't wait to hold Lulu in his arms again._

_Cooper also warned him that the closer he became to Lulu, the harder it would be to let go. _

_He reasoned with himself that if Lulu wasn't with him in heaven, what would be the point of going there? He wouldn't need to let go. He would wander the Earth until her time came, and they could be together forever. _

_He focused again and was able to hold the rock the whole time._

"_Yes!" he exclaimed, letting it drop back to the ground. Someone sitting by the bench looked up at the rock that just dropped, seemingly out of nowhere._

_Cooper chuckled. "Told you, you had it." _

_Dante nodded. He would spend a few more hours practicing and then he would be ready to show himself to Lulu. _

_He sighed, content._

"_Coop, I know this may seem like a naïve question, but do we get wings, since we're angels and all?" Dante asked. _

_Cooper sat on the bench, right beside the man who had looked at Dante's floating rock. "Interesting question," he said thoughtfully."Usually, you get them once you pass into heaven. But I sense something special about you. God has plans for you. I suspect that you will get your wings when you really need them." _

"_Well that was a vague answer if I ever heard one," Dante said, pacing around in the grass._

_Cooper laughed. "Well, you asked if we got wings, and I answered that yes, we go have wings." _

"_I've never seen your wings," Dante pointed out. _

"_Guess I'll have to show you sometime," Cooper said. _

_Since Dante had been practicing with Cooper for the past couple of days, he had no clue what was going on with Lulu or the trial. He had no clue that his murderer had been caught. _

_And he certainly had no clue what Lulu planned to do that night. If he did, he would have done everything in his power to stop it. _

* * *

**A/N: I know this chapter may not make sense right now, but the next chapter will clear it up I promise. Comment ;D **


	6. Justice In All The Wrong Ways

Lulu applied a dark coat of red lipstick, reminding her of blood. She puckered her lips at the mirror, making sure her reflection was flawless.

Lucky would be there shortly to pick her up and bring her to the trial. She had wanted to drive herself, but she didn't want to seem too suspicious, so she accepted the ride.

She still needed people to believe she was the poor, fragile girlfriend; it was the only way she would pull this off.

She was dressed all in black, because in truth, she was still grieving. She knew she would probably see Olivia there, too. But that made her want to do this even more. If she wasn't doing this for her, she would have done it for Olivia.

Lulu picked one of her oversize purses, filling it with pointless things as a cover. Then she went searching for the thing she really needed.

It was under the bed, she knew. Dante kept one there for easy access, just in case one of them needed it.

She sprawled out on the floor, looking under the bed. She could see some cobwebs underneath. Avoiding those, she reached under and felt around blindly for the object she was searching for.

Her fingers finally closed around the cold, hard metal of a handgun.

She tightened her grip and pulled it out. She stood up, dusting herself off.

The safety of the gun was on, and she decided to leave it that way for now. She slipped the gun into her purse, under all the other things she had stuffed in there.

She had just finished getting it in there when the elevator rumbled up.

"You ready to go?" Lucky asked.

She hoped her face didn't look too guilty. She knew her palms were sweating like crazy and she was shaking with adrenaline.

She knew she had changed inside, but she had still never done anything this drastic.

"Yeah, let's go," she said in a small voice.

Lucky mistook that emotion as her not being able to withstand this trial. She didn't bother correcting him. He wrapped one arm around her in a half-hug and led her out to his car,

The car ride was silent. Lucky opened his mouth a few times, like he wanted to say something, but decided against it and kept his mouth shut.

Lulu was too nervous to do much of anything but go over her plan in her head. She could feel the bulk of the gun through the purse on her lap.

When they arrived at the courthouse, Lucky went over and opened the passenger door for her. She took a deep calming breath before climbing out of the car.

Today, unlike the day of the funeral, was bright and sunny, completely contradicting her feelings. Her stomach churned and she leaned on Lucky for support.

At the door to the courthouse, she saw her dad, looking uncomfortable in a suit and tie. For some reason that made Lulu smile. It calmed her down a little. She knew that no matter how nerved up or scared about this she was, she would do it, for Dante. Nothing could stop her from doing what was right.

Luke gathered her daughter in a quick hug before escorting her and Lucky into the courtroom.

Lulu immediately looked around to see who was there; she saw Olivia, and some of Dante's family who stayed in town even after the funeral. Other than that, it was pretty much her, Lucky and her dad, as well as some stray reporters.

Well those reporters would sure get a show today.

Lulu wondered if she should be angry that there weren't more people here, or glad. Lucky and Luke sat down in one of the benches near the back.

Lulu held up a finger at them and went to go talk to Olivia. Olivia was also still dressed in black, as well as the rest of the family. They each gave her sad smiles, and Dante's grandmother gave her a wink. Olivia hugged her tight and cried on her shoulder. Lulu was strong, still not shedding a tear.

She hadn't shed a tear in public since the funeral; refused to. She wanted to be strong for others, only allowing herself to grieve with herself. She didn't even confide in Maxie anymore, at least about Dante matters.

"I'm so glad you're here," Olivia whispered to her, not wanting the press to capture their conversation. They had already snapped a few pictures.

They talked for a few more minutes, until a bailiff boomed, "Please rise."

Lulu hurriedly took her seat, nestled between Lucky and Luke.

"The honorable Judge Carol presiding."

A chubby man with white, balding hair entered the courtroom. His robes billowed out behind him. Once he sat, everyone else in the courtroom did, too.

Lulu noticed that Claire Walsh was the lawyer for this case. If anyone could get a conviction, it was Claire Walsh. Either her or Diane Miller. Lulu was feeling more confident about this trial. She relaxed a bit. Maybe she wouldn't have to do what she planned after all.

Lucky grabbed her hand. At first, Lulu didn't realize why, until she looked over at the door.

It opened, revealing the slimy mobster who had killed her precious Dante. The killer who took away her lovers life.

She felt the now familiar white hot hatred course through her veins. It filled her mind, her eyes, it flooded her whole body. She couldn't think straight. It was only Lucky's hand on hers that kept her from leaping up and killing the man with her bare hands.

When she had calmed down, at least enough to really see the man, she realized he was the definition of a mobster. She thought Sonny was bad, but he was nothing compared to this guy.

Lulu heard the press' camera click, capturing the leering grin of the bastard as he walked up to his place at the table.

Claire Walsh looked over at him, distaste clear on her face.

The judge called the two lawyers up to the bench. Once they returned, the trial was on.

Lulu tuned in and out. She paid attention to the key pieces of evidence and also when the other lawyer found flaws in said key pieces of evidence.

Lulu finally learned the name of the murderer. Salvatore Cerone. On the streets he was known as "Switchblade Sal." The name would haunt her forever.

The trail flew by and soon the lawyers were making their closing statements. Lulu looked at the jury's face to see what they were thinking. She couldn't tell; she had no clue what their verdict was going to be.

There was a short recess. Luke brought Lulu a bottle of water, which she gulped down greedily, working up the nerve to go through with her plan.

They were called back in 10 minutes later. Lulu wasn't sure if it was a good sign that a verdict had come back so quickly, but she wasn't sure she wanted to hear their answer. She didn't like the looks on their faces as they sat down.

Lulu went over the facts in her head. The case could really go either way, depending on the jury's point of view.

But for her, it was only going one way.

"And the jury decides…"

Lulu reached into her purse and softly unlocked the safety. It made a quiet little popping sound, but to her it seemed like it echoed.

She tensed, and got up, practically climbing over Lucky, who was sitting on the edge.

She saw her dad look at her strangely, no one had any clue what she was up to.

The judge held up a hand, stopping the ruling. "Miss? I'm going to have to ask you to sit down," he called down to Lulu.

Now everyone was looking at her now. Reporters' cameras clicked away. Salvatore was the last to turn slowly around in his chair. He stared at her with hollow eyes and a wicked grin that made her insides churn.

Lulu was vaguely aware of people yelling at her to sit down or leave. She thought she heard Luke behind her, but she couldn't be sure.

The only person that mattered right now was Salvatore. And he would pay.

She glared at him, mustering up all her hatred and aimed it at him. "You killed him. You just took him away without a second thought about how it would affect any of us," she said, gesturing at herself and Dante's family. She started off in a low voice, but it quickly escalated. The courtroom had fallen silent, so that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was listening to the words she was speaking. Reporters were capturing it all, scribbling in their notebooks.

"Dante was a good man, he didn't deserve to die!" Lulu screamed at him. She felt her chin quiver, but she refused to let this man have the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

She pulled out the gun from her purse, whipping the purse across the floor. She extended her arm so that the barrel of the gun was aimed directly at his forehead, right between the eyes. He didn't even flinch.

She heard people gasp, but no one came at her. It was like someone had pushed pause on everyone except her and Salvatore. And of course the reporters, who were loving every minute of the show.

"Just admit you did it, so you can go to jail," she growled. "Just admit it you coldhearted bastard."

Salvatore smiled a slimy smile. One tooth was a shiny gold color, she couldn't help but notice.

Then he spoke. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he sneered.

Her finger twitched, and she screamed and pulled the trigger, embedding a bullet, right in her designated target.

Salvatore slumped to the ground, blood dripping down his face, onto his dress shirt. She shot him one more time, in the side of the head; just to be sure he was dead.

Then it was like someone hit play. People were screaming, the judge was calling for order. Salvatore's lawyer was kneeling beside his body, screaming above the noise that he had no pulse. The room was just a mess of noise.

Lulu felt a sense of righteousness. She stood there in the middle of the chaos, knowing there was one more thing to do.

She saw her father and brother coming toward her from one direction, and bailiffs from the other, swinging handcuffs.

She raised the gun that was still in her hand. She brought it to the side of her head, right where Dante had been shot.

Lucky and Luke froze, mouths hanging open with shock. Olivia was screaming Lulu's name over and over, but it was like Lulu was listening to it all from underwater. It was all muffled.

The bailiffs had no clue what to do, but they kept advancing, hoping to get the gun away from her before she could do anymore damage. They stopped when they were a couple of feet away.

Dante's grandmother was murmuring a beautiful sounding prayer. _Too bad there's no God, _Lulu thought absentmindedly.

Her finger itched to pull the trigger, but just as she was about to pull it, something caught her eye.

It was right above where the judge was sitting. It was a fuzzy outline at first. But then it became more defined, taking the shape of a human. There was a faint golden glow surrounding it, but it burned brighter each passing second.

She squinted, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

When it finally became clear, she couldn't believe it. Her mouth dropped open, causing people to look where she was looking, but she noticed how they looked back at her like she was crazy.

They couldn't see it, she realized.

The shape had transformed into the only man that she knew it couldn't be. But it was him wasn't it?

* * *

_Dante had wandered around to find Lulu after practicing some more with Cooper. _

_He had finally found her in the stuffy courtroom. He had no clue why she was there at first, until he located Salvatore Cerone. Good old Switchblade Sal. The very man who had killed him._

_As an angel, Dante could still fell hate, but it was different. He was more in control then he would have been, had he still been mortal. _

_But he could feel the tension radiating off Lulu in waves. He knew something was up, but he couldn't place it. _

_It was after the short recess that he found out her plan. _

_Dante had perched directly on the table, where the jury were discussing their verdict. He listened as they decided that Salvatore was guilty and should be put on Death Row. _

_He mentally cheered and went to go locate Lulu, hoping he could get her alone to share the good news, in person. _

_But by the time he had found her, she was back in the courtroom, sandwiched between her father and brother. _

_He sighed, knowing it would have to wait until she got home after the trial. _

_He settled back to watch his victory. _

"_And the jury decides…" _

_It was then that he heard the all too familiar click, clear as day, coming straight from Lulu's bag. He realized what she was about to do, and he flung himself at her._

_But with his panic, he lost his concentration, and therefore was not tangible for her to see. He was powerless, until he got his emotions in check. _

_So he watched the events unfold, wishing he could somehow stop it. _

_He was forced to watch as she shot his killer, once between the eyes. Then she raised the gun again, finishing the job. _

_He heard the lawyer say that Salvatore had no pulse. That ambulances were being called. _

_Dante thought it was all over, until he watched Lulu bring the gun to her own head, ready to take her own life for him. _

_If only he could show her that he was right there in front of her. _

_In this case, his emotions helped a lot. The emotions took over, speeding up the process of making himself visible._

_He knew it was working when she stopped, looking up at the spot where he was floating._

_Wait, floating? _

_He looked behind him, and there, sprouting from just below the shoulder blades, were blindingly white, dazzling wings. _

_He wished he had more time to gaze at them, but this was not the time. He concentrated again, keeping his gaze fixed on Lulu. _

_He felt the warmth radiating from his head to the tip of his toes. He knew he was then perfectly visible, wings and all, for her to see._

_Her mouth dropped open, causing other people to look, but they, of course, saw nothing. _

_He decided to try talking to her, since she still hadn't lowered the gun._

"_Lulu," his voice had a slight echo to it, he noticed. _

_Her eyes widened even more, if possible. _

"_This isn't the way. Babe, please put the gun down." _

* * *

Lulu collapsed onto her knees, letting the gun clatter to the floor.

Dante's voice, it was still the same. It caressed her, giving her the same tingles it always had.

She stared up at him, drinking in the sight of him. He was seemingly glowing gold at the edges, but he was still the same. The same Dante she had always known and loved with all her heart.

But then she noticed the wings. They were so white; it almost hurt to look at them. It didn't freak her out as much as it should have. She was just happy to see Dante once more.

She started crying and reaching out to him. He started to fly over to her when a police officer came rushing forward, jerking her arm roughly behind her and snapping it in handcuffs.

"No!" she screamed, fighting to get to Dante. She kicked, screamed, bit, whatever she needed to do, just so she could see her Dante again. She needed to savor this moment; there may never be another one.

Dante got a pained look on his face. It looked out of place on his angelic face. He didn't like what they were doing to her, she could tell. But he couldn't stop it.

She looked warily to her left as a paramedic, all in white stepped forward with a long needle. He inserted it into her arm and she felt a thick liquid seeping into her veins.

She swung her head to the side, searching for her dad and Lucky. They were both trying to get to her, but were being held back by cops. Her head felt too heavy for her neck and shoulders to support.

"Dante save me," she slurred. She looked over to where she last saw him, but he looked like he was already beginning to fade, which made her cry harder. She tasted salty tears in her mouth.

She closed her eyes and let the darkness consume her.

* * *

"_No!" Dante cried out as officers jerked Lulu's hands behind her roughly. He reached out a hand to help, momentarily forgetting he was a ghost. _

_He was forced to watch, but Lulu never took her eyes off him. _

_He saw a paramedic insert a sedative into her arm, and knew it was only minutes until she passed out. _

_She was already disoriented and could barely move because of the handcuffs. Someone had kicked her gun off to the side and placed a sheet over Salvatore's body. _

_The court was a flurry of activities, as people where shepherded out the double doors. They would need to stay for questioning, Dante knew, but the cops wouldn't want them to see this. _

_Dante saw Lulu's eyes close and her head fell limp on her neck. They had one of the bigger cops carry her out to an ambulance that was waiting outside. _

_Dante rode in the ambulance, sitting there with Lulu, hoping she would be okay. _

_He had no clue what would happen after this. But he knew that Lulu couldn't go to jail. It would mess her up even more. _

_Dante may have only been an angel, but he would never let Lulu go to jail. Ever. _


	7. Remembering

_**I'm surprised; I got no new comments on the last chapter. I thought I would have gotten a whole bunch; it was kind of shocking. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!**_

_**Xoxo  
Janelle **_

* * *

"_Her vitals are good, she is stable. There really doesn't seem to be anything wrong."_

"_Are you kidding? She __**shot**__ someone. There is obviously something wrong…" _

* * *

"_Hi sweetheart, it's your dad. Your brothers are here, too. We aren't going to leave you. We'll be right by your side every minute…"_

* * *

"_Hey Lu. It's Maxie. I heard what happened at court. I really need you to get better. Things are getting swamped at work and…Please just get better…"_

* * *

"_They're talking about putting her in jail, you know." _

"_No way! She didn't do anything but defend my son, and I love her even more for it. Don't worry Lulu, I'll make sure you don't get hurt. Not again…" _

* * *

Lulu's eyes fluttered open; the haze she had been living in finally lifted.

She was vaguely aware of the conversations that people were having in front of her, but she couldn't make herself open her eyes, they were just too heavy.

Now that she had opened her eyes, the conversations flew from her mind, and she could no longer remember who had been talking. She felt like they had said something important though, and she struggled to recall what was said.

She tried sitting up, but immediately felt a tugging. She looked down and saw that she was attached to a mess of tubes. It was then that she became really aware of her surroundings; the monitors beeping, the IV in her arm, the crisp white sheets covering her legs.

She was in the hospital.

She looked down at herself, trying to figure out why she was there. She couldn't remember though.

She didn't panic; she figured she would get her memory back, soon enough.

She lay back down on her pillows, calming her nerves by staring at the blank ceiling.

She got a pain her heart. That was the one thing that was good about sleeping in the hospital; there was no grief about Dante.

_Dante. _

There was something about him that contributed to the hollow feeling she felt inside. She felt as if she had just seen him, but that would be impossible right? He was dead, so how could she have seen him…?

Unless she was dead.

But she didn't remember an accident. She knit her eyebrows in confusion and decided to wait.

She tried to go back to sleep, but her mind was occupied, trying to recall her memories.

She lowered her eyes from the ceiling when she heard footsteps across the hall from her room. The door opened and Dr. Patrick Drake stood there, looking as pristine as ever in his white doctor's coat. Everything was so white it hurt her eyes.

_Nope, not dead,_ she told herself. Because if she were dead, that would mean Patrick would have to be too.

"How are you feeling Lulu?" Patrick asked, drawing her attention to him.

"I think I'm okay," she shrugged and swallowed, her throat dry. "I can't really remember why I'm here."

"Well that's normal after you've been given a high dose of sedative," he told her, perching on the edge of her hospital bed, looking down at the chart.

She couldn't help but notice he was looking at her warily, as if she could fly apart at the hinges at any minute…

He marked something down on the chart, and she was itching to see what it was. "So you don't remember anything at all?" he asked her.

She remained silent while she thought that over. The memories were fuzzy, but they were trying to come back to her.

When she told Patrick this, he nodded. "Alright, well there are some people here to see you. I'll let them in, and if you remember anything, you press the button and I'll come talk to you okay?"

"Sure," she said, wondering who was here.

A few minutes later and Luke came through the door.

"Oh my baby," he said and came and held her close.

She figured whatever had happened, it was bad, because it was making her dad act…so unlike her dad.

He pulled back a little and kissed the top of her head. He seemed reluctant to let go of her, as opposed to Patrick, who seemed a little leery to get close.

Luke dragged over a chair and sat clasping her hand so tightly; she thought she would lose circulation. The sound of the chair dragging on the ground made her flinch.

No matter what she did, she couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible happened, followed by something amazing. She just couldn't figure out what it was.

She listened to her father talk, but she realized he wasn't giving her any detail about what had happened in the past few days. She realized that Patrick must have told him not to tell her anything; to let her figure it out for herself.

She just searched her dad's face, looking for some sort of clue to what happened. She could feel it becoming clearer, it was almost there for her to take.

Her dad was allowed to stay in the room, but there were other's that came to visit her. Maxie, Lucky and the rest of her brothers, and Olivia.

Each one of them helped her recall what happened, but it wasn't until Patrick came into the room and her dad left that she began to remember it fully.

"So did they help refresh your memory?" he asked her, sitting in the seat her father had occupied just a few minutes ago.

She opened her mouth to say no when a barrage of memories hit and hit hard. She grabbed her head and even with her eyes closed, she could see the images fly past, like a slideshow.

She was in the courtroom, aiming a gun right at Dante's killer. She shot him, twice. Then horribly she turned the gun on herself. She almost pulled the trigger, but something stopped her. It was…Dante. That was the last thing she remembered before she was injected with the sedative.

A guttural sound escaped her lips and she clutched at her head, pulling at her hair and scratching her face, trying to do anything to make the images stop, to make them disappear for good. But they wouldn't go away, and she knew they were really the truth.

But if Dante was really there, where was he now?

It was horrible that she had killed another human being, and it might scar her for life, but what really scared her was that she put the gun to her own head. And the fact that she would have pulled the trigger if she hadn't been stopped.

She felt blood making its way slimily down her face, and she tasted it in her mouth as she began to scream.

She felt the weight of someone on top of her, grabbing her arms to stop her from causing more damage to her face.

She heard more feet rush into the room and felt a needle being pushed into her arm.

She gained enough conscious thought to say, "Please, don't put me to sleep again. Please." She hated how pleading her voice sounded.

She felt Patrick get off her, and she didn't have the energy in her limbs to hurt herself anymore anyway. The images were fading again, but the sleep wouldn't come.

"Lulu, can you hear me?" It was Patrick's voice, sounding through the haze. She felt fingers on her eyelids and a bright light shone into her eyes.

She made some sort of low moan which Patrick took as an answer. "We gave you some more sedative, but not enough to make you sleep yet. I'm going to let your dad in and we are going to decided what to do okay?"

He was talking to her in a soothing voice that one might talk to a baby.

She felt a cool hand pressing on her forehead and her dad's rough voice demanding to know what was going on.

She opened her eyelids, just enough to see the world through tiny slits. She saw the blurred vision of her dad standing next to her and Patrick frantically trying to explain what was going on.

Something about either it was jail or ShadyBrook.

ShadyBrook? What? No, _**no**_. She couldn't go there.

She used the last of her energy to thrash on the bed until another trickle of sedative made its way into her IV.

She felt back into the peaceful slumber.


End file.
